Elphaba and the Injured Horse
by GallifreyanPanicMoon
Summary: While enjoying a relaxing summer's day at Kiamo Ko, Elphaba is distressed by her head monkey, Chistery, who has discovered an injured horse deep within the forest. The horse warns her of the Wizard's plot to harm a someone close to her to draw her into a trap. But whom he wishes to harm is not quite who the witch expects...
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story I wrote years ago, back when I was fourteen. I had planned it but could never be bothered finishing it, I figured I might just post what I wrote anyway.**

Summer was one of Elphaba's favourite times of the year. She could go outside and read in the sunshine without worrying about it raining. The sun was always out so she could get heaps of vitamin D while enjoying a good book, also since she was allergic to water, her skin was tolerant to UV rays and the possibility of her getting sunburnt was unheard of.  
She lay under a large oak tree that stood on the edge of one of the forests near Kiamo Ko. Every time she looked up she could see the castle on the hill. In summer it looked less like a haunted mansion and more like a beautiful cathedral of gothic architecture. She plucked a daisy from the grass and placed it on the open Grimmerie which rested on the lap. She looked at its petals and the way they curved so neatly. It reminded her of Glinda's curly blonde hair.  
She sighed; the thought of Glinda reminded her of how she came to be at Kiamo Ko. She missed her Shiz days dearly. Surprisingly it wasn't all the seminars with Morrible or the sessions with Dr Dillamond but all the inside jokes and fun times she had in her dormitory with her hysterical roommate.  
Suddenly, a blurry red figure swooped downwards and landed in front of her. She looked up, it was Chistery, her head monkey. "Hello Chistery," she said smiling at him "if you want fruit you'll have to go up to the castle I don't have any with me, sorry." Chistery shook his head and began making gestures with his hands, Elphaba stared. "Chistery, please try to speak" she asked him but he grabbed her wrist and began pulling her up, "Ow" she cried and freed her hand from his grip. "Would you like me to follow you?" she asked massaging her wrist. He nodded.  
Elphaba packed away the Grimmerie in her bag and picked up her broomstick. She mounted as Chistery took off and she followed after. The sky was a perfect blue with not a single cloud. The warm air blew into Elphaba's face as her long black hair and cape flew out behind her. She carefully watched Chistery in front as his wings beat up and down against the wind. They hadn't gone too deep into the forest before Chistery headed downwards. Elphaba leant forward on her broom and narrowed her eyes to see exactly where Chistery would land. They broke through the trees and she pulled up quickly before coming to a hover above the forest floor.  
Elphaba dismounted just as she heard a series of frightened whinnies nearby. She pushed on through the trees and followed the animal's voice; Chistery was in front hopping along on the ground. They entered a clearing where a jet black horse was lying on the ground. It was crying out in pain and gasping for air.  
Elphaba held out her hand "it's okay" she said "I want to help you" she came over to the horse. "My name is Elphaba." The horse looked at her in the eye.  
"Well of course you are!" It exclaimed "I have been searching through out Oz for you!" Elphaba froze. This was a Horse rather than a horse. She hadn't come across one in ages since she was surrounded by Chistery and the other monkeys and Killyjoy her dog, all of them animals. "Why were you searching for me?" She asked but the Horse squealed drawing Elphaba's attention to its left hock which had a deep open wound with blood seeping out. "That may need a lot of attention" she said "but we shall have to wait until we get you back to Kiamo Ko, Chistery how far are we?" Chistery held up three fingers. "Three miles?" Elphaba gasped, Chistery nodded. Elphaba looked back at the Horse "Can you get up?" The Horse used its three good legs to pick its self up and stand on three legs with the fourth turned out awkwardly. "Don't put any pressure on it what so ever, we have a long walk. I am happy to stop whenever you wish" she told him. "What is your name?"  
"Lauf" the Horse replied.  
"Like the beautiful herb they use to cure Saudries?" She asked. Lauf nodded.  
Elphaba mounted her broom again and hovered next to Lauf. "Chistery, I'll meet you back there" she told him and Chistery flew off. After Lauf had gotten used to three legs, the two of them set off together.  
"So Lauf, firstly how did that happen?" she asked referring to his injured hock.  
"Well..." he said "I was galloping through the forest in search of you. I have no idea what it was really but I think I was attacked by a forest wolf."  
Elphaba nodded "We get a fair few of those around here now. I didn't know they liked the taste of horses."  
"They don't normally, but they'll be satisfied with anything at the moment."  
"What do you mean?" She asked curiously. Lauf halted and Elphaba hovered next to him while he rested his leg for a minute. "I mean, since the Wizard is at war against all Animals, he has been driving wild animals as far away from civilisation as possible so that they will never learn to be like us. The only ones who remain in civilisation are tame pets. Now, away from their normal habitats, they're forced to live anywhere and eat anything."  
Elphaba looked into his dark but gentle eyes.  
"Is that why you were looking for me, for help?" She asked. Lauf shook his head.  
"I was actually sent by Miss Glinda Arduenna, your former roommate at Shiz University."  
Elphaba looked at him puzzled "Glinda sent you?"  
"Oh yes, she wanted me to... err... Send you her best wishes and, um, see how you were coping."  
Elphaba knew this wasn't for real. Lauf looked quite nervous as he spoke and she knew Glinda wouldn't just send a Horse to send her best wishes. However, she decided not to say another word on the subject until they reached the castle.  
"Well, we'll discuss this more once we reach the castle" and the two of them walked slowly together.


	2. Chapter 2

Elphaba brought Lauf into a spare room in Kiamo Ko and lay him down on the bed where she attended to his injured hock. "You can stay here as long as you like and you are welcome to come back here after you leave." She informed him as she tied the final knot on the bandage. "Thank You." Lauf replied. She gently placed his hock on a pillow and knelt down beside his face. "Why did Glinda actually send you?" She asked.

"Thank you for being so patient" he said. "But it was too dangerous out there. I'll tell you what Glinda wanted to tell you."

"I have, or had, a job as a messenger. I have travelled throughout Oz delivering messages to all different kinds of people and Animals. One day, I was told by my boss to deliver a message to a barrister who resided in The Emerald City. When I arrived I gave him his letter and waited while he read it to himself, just in case he wanted to send a reply. When he finished, he dismissed me and I left but just when I was out the door I was pulled down an alley way by someone in a hood. They looked around to make sure no one was watching and they pushed back their hood. It was Glinda the Good, and she asked me to send a very important message a woman who lived in the castle of Kiamo Ko in the Vinkus. She came right up to my ear and whispered the name of the recipient: 'Elphaba Thropp.'"  
"What message?" Elphaba exclaimed "what did she want to tell me?"  
Lauf exhaled deeply then held Elphaba's hands tight in his hooves. "The Wizard is planning something, something big, to get you out of hiding. She said he is going to kill someone you love. She didn't tell me who but she assumed with your help we could both work it out. All I can say is make sure everyone you love is safe. The Wizard may be powerless but he can take a life! Whose life would he take to get to you Elphaba?!" Lauf asked squeezing her hands tighter. "Elphaba, is everyone you love safe?"  
Elphaba sat in silence, thinking. Who would the wizard harm to get to her? She knew the answer was right under her nose. Who? Everyone who she loved was safe away from harm, weren't they? Then she remembered:  
She had completely forgotten since she had attended to Lauf's leg and listened to his story. But now she thought about it, she remembered the other resident of Kiamo Ko. The one who had given up a life as captain of the guards and engaged to Oz's most loved witch, to come out to the castle of Kiamo Ko to live, in love, with Elphaba and, more importantly, who had recently left Kiamo Ko to travel south to the Tiggular farm where their crops grew to collect more supplies. Her love, her life, her soul.  
Fiyero.  
Elphaba's hands began shaking in Lauf's hooves. She pulled them out of his grasp and placed them on her head, gripping her hair in frustration and worry. "No," she muttered "No! He can't do that! It's not fair! No!"  
"Who?" Lauf asked hastily "who would the Wizard kill?" Elphaba sank right to the floor and pulled her long dark hair over her face. Her cheeks began to burn as tears spilled from her eyes, she rubbed her hair on her face.  
"Who?" Lauf asked again  
"F-Fiyero" she whimpered and flung her arms around Lauf and sobbed into his neck. "He can't do that!"  
"He can and he will unless you get there as fast as possible." Lauf informed her. Elphaba looked up at Lauf with a sudden look of determination despite the burning tear stains on her emerald green face. "You're right" she stumered "I have to go. But I can't leave you alone."  
"Don't worry; you've left a nice pile of food on the table there. I will be able to reach it when need be. You, my dear, go! Fly to his side before the wizard does!" Elphaba nodded and without another word stood up and left the room. She walked up a flight of stairs to her study where she gathered her broom, bag and her cloak. She opened the Grimmerie to the page where the daisy lay squashed and saw "The Healing Spell."  
She hurried down the stairs back to Lauf's room and opened the book again. She placed her hands on his wound and began to chant: _Habulan daren daren, habulan daren daren, malatu malatu, kimbalu nonkau, habulan daren daren._ She let go of his leg just as it began to glow and when she looked back at it, the wound was gone. "That's all I have time for I'm terribly sorry" she told him.  
"Thank You" he said, "Now go!"  
Elphaba hastily ran out of the castle. Standing outside the front doors of Kiamo Ko, she mounted her broom and swiftly flew off to find Fiyero.

**Okay, as I said before, I didn't finish this and I am way too lazy to (you never know, I might be really bored one day and come up with something) but instead I will tell you how it was meant to end (it would have been one part away anyway - clearly I am quite lazy, lol. Actually, I'm not, I'm just not interested any more, seeing I wrote this four years ago)  
Basically she travels south to find Fiyero in no danger what so ever and she later receives word that Nessarose has been hit by a tornado, hence tying in with the original story :)  
Hope you enjoyed it, hope you liked the idea, sorry for the disappointment at the end.**


End file.
